A 47-year-old Nigerian, Okechukwu Ogbonu, has been arrested and charged as a result of his alleged ingestion of 65 pellets containing approximately one kilogramme of heroin, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson said on Thursday.
According to reports, the criminal complaint filed on Monday indicates that Ogbonu arrived at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston aboard Emirates flight 211 from Dubai on August 10. Ogbonu’s itinerary indicated he had travelled from Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos to Dubai seven days prior.
He was arrested after Customs and Border Protection officers observed questionable behaviour by him and believed him to be an internal drug courier.
He gave written consent to be taken to a medical facility for an X-ray, which allegedly revealed multiple pellets containing an unknown substance completely filling his stomach and intestines.
He later expelled a pellet, the contents of which field tested positive for the presence of heroin.
“This apprehension is an example of the commitment of CBP officers to disrupting alleged illegal activity that could pose a devastating threat to the American public,” said Jeffrey Baldwin Sr., CBP director of Houston Field Operations.
Ogbonu remained under the care of medical professionals until he had passed all foreign bodies from his digestive tract and was medically discharged.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and CBP and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bertram Isaacs.
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